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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · bat · object · pass · rest · wound · mug · spell

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — a thing
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — an aim
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com